The Miami Dolphins hosted the Atlanta Falcons at training camp for two joint practices Tuesday and Wednesday. Despite a dominant first day, and a handful of fights between the Dolphins defense and Falcons offense, Miami struggled to perform on day two. A lot of its struggles came from notable areas. With the Dolphins preseason opener Friday, some predictions have emerged for how the preseason will unfold. Miami has a few challenges to tackle throughout the preseason. A lot of them are on the offensive side of the ball.
Offensive Line Challenges
Miami’s offensive line throughout training camp has struggled against the blitz. The men in the trenches have been caught off guard on the inside against pressure and have allowed it to collapse the pocket. In Tuesday’s practice, Atlanta pass rushers reached Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa three seconds after the snap on a few occasions. The first-string quarterback had to throw the ball away multiple times to avoid a sack. It became a common issue throughout the day. However, Miami still was able to move forward down the field against the Falcons in the two days of work. This is an accomplishment for the Dolphins offensive firepower in the passing game, but doesn’t make up for the early miscues.
Miami could potentially see more of these mishaps at the line of scrimmage this preseason. Dolphins offensive tackle Terron Armstead has been present at practice but didn’t work in any 11-on-11 work in the joint practices against Atlanta. The 12-year veteran will likely sit out for most of preseason, but the other first-string O-line men could find a lot of reps in games to build chemistry.
Recent injuries have limited the center position for the preseason. Miami center Aaron Brewer suffered a right-hand injury at the end of practice Wednesday. The 26-year-old was listed as the first-string center on Miami’s most recent depth chart. Behind him, on the chart, this preseason is rookie Andrew Meyer. The Texas-El Paso alum will have a lot of chances along with offensive lineman Liam Eichenberg. The Dolphin veteran played center before with Miami and was practicing handoff with Tagovailoa Wednesday.
Secondary Held Strong, but Struggled Against Atlanta Running Game
Falcons running back Bijon Robinson was the strongest offensive player for Atlanta throughout the two joint practices against Miami. The explosive back used his athleticism to cut out to the open field and run in for touchdowns in practice. Dolphins, such as defensive tackle Zach Sieler and linebacker David Long Jr., struggled to wrap around him and cause pressure against the run.
Even though Miami’s run defense wasn’t at its pinnacle in joint practices, the secondary caused havoc for Atlanta quarterbacks the entire time. Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey, Kader Kohou and others forced a no fly zone by defending every pass closely. A lot of forced overthrown passes were made by Falcons quarterbacks in practice. A reason for this was the overall lack of selection of targets against Miami’s defensive backs.
With enough information from training camp on the main defensive players, a lot of rookies will have the opportunity to take over this preseason. Two rookie cornerbacks that have gained attention in camp are Jason Maitre and Storm Duck. Both undrafted rookie free agents have been solid in zone coverage. They’ll find a lot of reps Friday with first-year cornerback Ethan Bonner.
A Thin Wide Receiver Group Will Bring Rookies a Unique Opportunity
A recent trend in training camp for the Dolphins have been the new faces rotating into the wide receiver room. Miami since the start of camp has signed two veteran receivers — Willie Snead IV and Mike Harley Jr. One of the many reasons for these additions is because of the lack of fully healthy talent at the position. Dolphins wide receivers Braxton Berrios and Jaylen Waddle have shown up in drills throughout camp but weren’t active in Wednesday’s joint practice. Head coach Mike McDaniels said that the duo are dealing with minor injuries, but nothing that would create a real concern for the season. With that, and Pro-Bowler Odell Beckham Jr. still on the physically unable to perform list, many receivers on the bubble will have a lot of playing time this preseason.
The three names most likely to break out of the bubble and into a roster spot would be Malik Washington, Anthony Schwartz, and Kyric McGowan. Washington has impressed the most as a receiver throughout camp. The sixth-round selection from the 2024 NFL Draft has produced yards off the deep ball and has worked a lot in 11-on-11 compared to special teams.
Schwartz and McGowan have found themselves destined to represent the team as punt/kick returners this preseason. However, McGowan’s stock has risen with him getting more receiver reps since the absence of Waddle and Berrios. The 5-foot-11-inch route runner can prove his worth as a guy on the outside. Schwartz, a South Florida native, will be a fan favorite to make the team. Once deemed the fastest player in the 2021 NFL Draft class, Schwartz will need crucial reps on offense this preseason to make the roster as a receiver.
Who Will Really Play This Preseason
A majority of the first-string players, besides the offensive line, will not play in Miami’s preseason opener against Atlanta. Tagovailoa was hinted to not play at all Friday by McDaniels. This has been a trend for Tagovailoa for the past two seasons under McDaniels. This will mean that quarterbacks Mike White and Skylar Thompson will be the vital guys under center this preseason. Miami wide receivers Waddle, Berrios, and Tyreek Hill will most likely be out Friday as well. The top receivers expected to open the preseason will be River Cracraft, Snead, and tight end Jonnu Smith. Tight end Durham Smythe, top of the depth chart for his position, may play a few games, but is not expected to be active in each game.
The defensive line will be an interesting group to monitor on who plays and who doesn’t this preseason. With pass rushers Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips on the PUP list, many linebackers and defensive tackles will have a chance to impress. Linebackers Emmanuel Ogbah, Quinton Bell and Long might not start at all Friday with their high placement on the depth chart.
Rookie linebacker Chop Robinson is second in the depth chart heading toward the Dolphins preseason opener. The first-round draft choice could open the game but isn’t expected to be played for the entire game. At defensive tackle, Sieler will be in the same situation as well. His presence at defensive tackle will have guys such as Tear Tart play in his place for reps. The Miami Dolphins preseason opener against the Atlanta Falcons will be at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Friday at 7 p.m. The Falcons are favored by 2.5 points over Miami.
Main Image: Sam Navarro – USA Today Sports
